Motorized can opener



June 14, 1955 G. J. RIPPERGER MOTORIZED CAN OPENER Filed Jan. 4, 1955 $4M mwfw P ..w 0w 3T "w m mm mu. m w n A a. l M \M Win16! United States Patent Z ,7 10,444 Patented June 14, 1955 2,710,444 MOTORIZED CAN OPENER Gerald J. Ripperger, Des Moines, Iowa Application January 4, 1955, Serial No. 479,828

3 Claims. (Cl. 30-4) This invention relates to can openers and more particularly to a motorized one that automatically turns itself on and off merely by the manual lifting and lowering of the hand crank lever.

Can openers are in general usage everywhere. The more expensive ones have a crank arm for manually rotating its can opening mechanism. However, even with such equipment the opening of the can is relatively slow, and considerable strength and labor are required. This is especially true at facilities and establishments such as restaurants and like where a great number of cans must be opened daily.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a can opener that is driven by an electric motor, thereby making a great saving in effort and labor.

A further object of this invention is to provide a can opener that is a time saver. v

A still further object of my invention is to provide a motorized can opener that goes on and off automatically when the hand cran lever is raised and lowered.

Still further objects of my invention are to provide a motorized can opener that is economical in manufacture, durable in use, and defined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrange ments, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a front view of my motorized can opener, and

Fig. 2 is a side view of the can opener with a section broken away to more fully illustrate its construction.

A goodly number of the elements shown in the drawing are of standard manufacture and well known. This is especially true of the can opener per se. Hand operated can openers are usually mounted on a supporting wall or on a table. In the drawings I show the can opener on a table 10. The fastening means comprise a base bearin 11 having a horizontal portion 12 above the table and a ledge 13 below it, as shown in Fig. l. A thumb screw means 14 is threaded through the ledge 13 and in engagement with the under side of the table. By this structure the base 11 is detachably secured to the table 16. The numeral 15 designates a post adjustably vertically slidable through the base 10. The numeral 16 designates a thumb screw threaded through the base and capable of engaging the post and thus locking the post in various positions of its vertical movement. The numeral 17 designates the can opener head at the top of the post 15. This head has the angular can cutting wheel 18 rotatably mounted on the face portion of the head 17. The numeral 19 designates the eccentrically mounted shaft having the usual can carrying and rotating spur wheel 20 located below the wheel knife 18. As is well known, a can 21 is placed between the cutting wheel knife 18 and the spur gear 20, with the spur gear directly below the can rim 22 as shown in Fig. 2. The initial movement of the crank handle 23 upwardly raises the shaft 19 and spur gear 20, thereby raising the can 21, causing the knife wheel 18 to pierce the can lid. Ordinarily by manually rotating the crank handle 23, the shaft 19 will be rotated thereby causing the can 21 to rotate and thus cutting the top out of the can. The numeral 24 designates a magnet for yieldingly retaining the severed can top lid after the opened can is removed.

All of the numbered parts and elements heretofore described are standard and well known. Patents 2,361,561 and 1,999,370 show such can openers. It is to such can openers that I apply my invention and which I will now describe in detail.

The numeral 30 designates an ordinary electric motor having an ordinary gear reducing mechanism and gear housing 31. The gear mechanism is operatively connected with the shaft 19 and the gear housing is connected to the crank arm lever 23 as shown in Fig. 2. The crank arm 23, in my assembly, does not rotate the shaft 19, but does rotate the motor position from a lowered substantially upside down position to an upright position past dead center top, as shown by broken lines in Fig. 1. This motor by being so moved in conjunction with the arm 23, of course raises the usual eccentrically bearinged shaft 19. As the motor moves past dead center top, its entire weight and that of its gear housing will begin to bear on and lift the shaft 19 and spur wheel 20 and thus lift the can forcing the rotary knife 18 into it and holding it in a raised cuttable position. The numeral 32 designates a mercury switch on the motor 30 having its two contact points above the mercury 33 surface level when the motor is in a lowered upside down position as shown in Fig. 1. The numerals 34 and 35 designate the two electric lead lines respectively of the electric motor and which are adapted to be in communication with a source of electric energy. The mercury switch 32 is imposed in the lead line 35, as shown in Fig. 2. Therefore, when the motor is in a lowered upside down position the electric contact will be broken and the motor will not be running. However, when the handle 23 is swung and the motor elevated to the position shown by broken lines in Fig. l, the mercury switch will be up ended and the mercury will cover the contact points of the switch, the electric circuit will be made and the motor will rotate the spur wheel 24), thereby rotating the can and thus having its top out out by the knife wheel 18. By the motor position being past dead center top, the weight of the same will hold the shaft 19, wheel 20 and can 21 in raised position.

After the top of the can is cut, the handle 23 is pushed back, bringing the motor to an upside down posi tion and automatically breaking the electric circuit. With the motor in such lowered position the shaft 19 will also be lowered for the next can to be opened.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my motorized can opener without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In combination with a can opener having a wheel cutting knife, an eccentrically bearinged shaft, a crank handle for raising and lowering said shaft, and a can engaging spur wheel on the shaft, a prime mover means; comprising, an electric motor having an electric circuit adapted to be in contact with a source of electric energy operatively connected to said shaft and connected to and movable by said crank handle.

2. In combination with a can opener having a wheel cutting knife, an eccentrically bearinged shaft, a crank handle for raising and lowering said shaft, and a can engaging spur wheel on the shaft, a prime mover means; comprising, an electric motor having an electric circuit adapted to be in contact with a source of electric energy operatively connected to said shaft and operatively secured to said crank handle and capable of being moved by said crank handle to a position past top dead center whereby when said crank handle is rotated said can opener shaft will be raised and the weight of said motor will be exerted to hold it in a raised position.

3. In combination with a can opener having a wheel cutting knife, an eccentrically bearinged shaft, a crank handle for raising and lowering said shaft, and a can engaging spur wheel on the shaft, a prime mover means; comprising, an electric motor having an electric circuit adapted to be in contact with a source of electric energy operatively connected to said shaft and operatively secured to said crank handle whereby when said crank handle is rotated said can opener shaft will be raised and the Weight of said motor will be exerted to hold it in a raised position, and a mercury switch imposed in the electric circuit of said electric motor and connected to said motor whereby when said motor is in a raised position the circuit will be completed and when in a lowered position the circuit will be broken.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

